As the weeks pass, I continue to marvel at the fact that we still see police, fire, EMS personnel, and towing people struck, injured, and killed by motor vehicles. What are you and I doing that is wrong? How can we keep missing the mark? Is it possible that there will never come a day when we no long see people being struck by motor vehicles on the highways and by-ways of our world?

Sorry for being a bit pessimistic this time around. I guess my review of the number of highway-related line-of-duty deaths and gives me pause tp ponder what more might be done to make things safer for those among us who must venture out onto the highways in the performance of our duties. Let me suggest to you that we are not resting on our laurels.

I want you to know that we here at ResponderSafety.com are moving our efforts to the next level. During the past couple of weeks we have broadened our impact in the highway safety world. While we were at the Fire Department Instructor's Conference in Indianapolis last month, we had a major press conference to announce that our Driver Behavior Study had been completed. The results will be shared with you over the course of the next few months.

Respondersafety Learning Network was now active and on line for all of you to use in improving your highway safety knowledge quotient. As of April 13 the ResponderSafety.Com site which is sponsored by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) is now releasing free training modules on The Responder Safety Learning Network.

The network is accessible directly from www.respondersafety.com and it will soon be mobile ready for tablets and smart-phones. The addition of The Responder Safety Learning Network to the established ResponderSafety.com has created the single largest online hub for roadway emergency responder training and resources.

You can find your way to this new and exciting training arena by going to the link on our ResponderSafety.com home page. Follow the instructions and then begin learning the latest highway safety operational techniques.

We have also been playing a critical role in a number of federal highway safety initiatives. We have been a part of the partnership between the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration, to assist in working with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) have, through a study of current traffic incident management practices and policies, updated the 2008 edition of the Traffic Incident Management Systems manual.

It is also my pleasure to announce that we are now a part of a U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), study which is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and being conducted in partnership with the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen's Association's (CVVFA) Emergency Responder Safety Institute. The purpose of the study of emergency vehicle markings, lighting, and design is to develop and recommend best practices for increased visibility to approaching motorists.

As you can see, we are not letting any grass grow under our feet. The only way we can ever hope to see a decrease in the deaths and injuries we are experiencing on the highways and byways of our nation is to continue out efforts to identify more ways in which to help you become smarter and safer as you perform your necessary duties. Stay with us. There will be more to come.